1. Field of the Invention
A cross-connector arrangement is provided for connecting a plurality of electrical components with a junction box or the like, including a conductive comb-like member having a flat body portion from which extend a plurality of parallel resilient finger portions having free ends which are twisted about the longitudinal axes of the finger portions, respectively, thereby to effect positive electrical engagement—with a certain degree of tolerance—between the finger portions and the walls of bus bar openings within which the free ends extend.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown by the European patent No. EP 0763874 B1, cross-connectors have been provided in the prior art that offer the advantage that the electrical contact of the bus bars takes place normal to the direction of alignment by means of a pair of resilient contacts that rest upon each other in a planar manner.
The great advantage of this design and the contact normal to the direction of alignment of terminal blocks resides in the fact that geometric changes in the terminal blocks and/or the bus bars due to heat in different climates are compensated for in a simple manner by the existing play of the spring contacts in the bus bar. One must also emphasize here the advantage of a high degree of long-term stability under aggressive atmospheric environmental conditions as well as the high degree of attainable contact safety.
Another advantage resides in the fact that endless cross-connections of up to 50 poles can be made and they can then be made to desired length. As a result of the existing leeway, one can therefore design the cross-connector with many poles.
According to another advantage, the possibility exists of simply taking out individual poles manually by means of preconfigured, required rupture points. Another advantage is represented here by the fact that the contacts consist of planar strips that must be designed relatively thin so that they can be separated at the required rupture points in the simplest fashion.
In the German patent No. 44 11 306 C1, a cross-connector unit of massive structure is proposed wherein the contacting of the recess in the bus bar takes place in each case in the direction of alignment of the terminal blocks. This has the disadvantage that changes in length that are caused by various climates, so to speak, cannot be adjusted. This means that this solution can be used only for particularly short cross-bridge units with only a few connecting plugs.
The present invention was developed to avoid the above problems inherent in the prior art, and to provide an improved cross-connector that provides safe and long-lasting contact with the associated bus bars while at the same time retaining the advantage of tolerance adjustment, particularly, in a direction normal to the alignment direction of the terminal blocks.